Pretty Woman
by Johnny Devlyn
Summary: Another Beckett-works-undercover-for-Vice-as-a-prostitute story. My own take on the concept.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, I know two amazing authors are currently doing this story, probably way better than I could, but I figured I'd post to share my version. Sandiane Carter and ChezChuckles wrote stories that are both called Vice and I would highly recommend reading those- their versions are way better than this one. I wrote this months ago but held onto it because I thought it was incomplete. If I end it in a different place however, it's pretty much done.**

**Please forgive my uncleverness with the title; it was the only thing I could think of, until I saw those other stories, and I already feel like a copycat so I wasn't going to steal their story title too!  
**

_This is _so_ demeaning_, Kate Beckett griped silently for probably the millionth time since squeezing herself into this getup. She had to fight the urge to cross her arms and cover just a little more skin, but that was un-sexy and at the moment, she was supposed to be the embodiment of sex appeal. Besides, what did it say about _her_ that she had had to look no further than her own closet for this dress? Could it actually be considered a dress? It more closely resembled a stretchy red Band-Aid and it covered about as much.

As she pondered these things, a beat up old blue pick-up truck pulled up to the curb she currently occupied and the driver leaned over to roll down the window.

With a sigh, she resigned herself to the act and leaned into the dark cab. Affecting a sexy, smoky look, she purred, "Hey, baby. What can I do you for?" Hiding a cringe, Beckett wondered, _Did I _really _just say that?_

The sallow man who was in dire need of a bath and a shave was eyeballing the cleavage that became more prominent when Kate leaned it against the arms she folded on the window sill. "How would you like to spend the night with a real man, Sexy?" Greasy asked and Kate wanted to puke.

_A_ real _man wouldn't have to pay for it_, Kate retorted, but was smart enough to keep the observation to herself- something about honey and catching flies. Dirty, greasy, repulsive flies... Kate just barely managed a flirty smile, and said in her bedroom voice, "I don't think you could afford to keep me all night." She raised one hand to her face, and put her littlest finger to the corner of her bottom lip. Kate added, "But if you'd like to have a little taste, I'm sure we could work something out." Then she slipped the tip of her finger between her teeth and smiled around it.

_Oh_, the look he gave her made her skin crawl! And not in the good way. "Hop in, sweet cheeks, and I'll take you somewhere nice and quiet."

Kate smiled at if that idea actually appealed to her, but she looked away in regret. "Cops sometimes watch this corner," she explained and wanted to laugh at the irony of _that_ observation. Did the idiot _really_ not know that she was basically outing herself? Well, he really seemed to be buying it, so Kate suggested, "There's a secluded parking lot behind this building here. If you want to drive around, I'll meet you back there and _then_ you can rock my world."

"Will do, Sexy," he said. They briefly discussed the price and specifics of what Greasy wanted to do to her, and then he was shifting his truck into drive. "See you soon."

Now that Greasy couldn't see her, Kate smiled in devious satisfaction as she stepped away from the car. But other than moving back from the curb, she had no intention of going anywhere else once the sleaze drove away. The boys from Vice would make sure Greasy found a warm bed in which to spend the night. He would probably even have some company if Kate could just lure a few more flies into her honey trap. She just had to wait again for the next john to come along.

With a sigh, Kate moved toward a low wall nearby and leaned against it. She was uncomfortable, bored, lonely and honestly, a little disgusted by humanity at the moment. At least there was _one_ thing she could do about her situation; shifting carefully, Kate managed to relieve some of the pressure from her ridiculously high red stilettos. Bending only slightly- this dress was _extremely_ short, you realize- Kate reached out to hike up her fishnets and was just a little more comfortable

Usually, Kate loved her job. Not only was it the vehicle through which she would find closure to her mother's murder- even if it did take many years- it gave her something to push her, to challenge her and give her a distraction from the constant grief. But today, she thought she just might hate her job.

Being female in a male driven profession was hard enough on its own, but then add in her looks and Kate often found herself in situations most other cops were lucky enough to avoid. Like being girl-bait for prospective johns. Or getting hit on by every frigging male cop (and some female ones too) at the precinct and then being assigned grunt work when advances were summarily turned down. Not that Kate was the only female cop- attractive or otherwise.

Of the women who might have done this job, two were too butch to attract a man, one was still in training and didn't yet have the necessary skills to go undercover and the last one- arguably as pretty as Kate- was pregnant and her baby bump was now too noticeable to put her in hooker clothes. Any other attractive female cops in the precinct were too high up the totem pole to be a legitimate consideration. Hopefully, once Kate did her time in the rank and file, she would be one of those lucky women, promoted above such humiliating assignations.

The loud clomping of some worn out wedge sandals was suddenly approaching Kate, pulling her out of her musings. They finally landed much too close to the cranky almost-detective and when Kate glanced up, she met the angry gaze of an intimidating brunette Amazon. Though not quite as tall as Kate, even in high heels, the woman was half again as wide with the crazy eyes of a person high on some illicit chemical.

"This is _my_ corner, bitch. So get lost," the woman all but growled. Kate rolled her eyes in annoyance and boredom which just served to enrage the woman further. "I said, _beat_ it!" she yelled and then reached up to shove Kate's shoulder.

_Doesn't this woman know better than to shove a cop?_ Kate wondered, as her own hand flashed out, caught the other woman's wrist and wrenched it painfully behind her back. If she had not been so distracted by the bitchy Amazon, Kate might have been put off by how convincing her attire must have been in order for the woman to mistake her for an another prostitute, trying to take over her corner.

The woman screamed in rage and pain and when she struggled, Kate wrenched her wrist harder. Pressing close to the woman's back, Kate informed her in a dangerous voice, "I'm a cop. I don't _want_ your corner. But if you don't get lost, I'll arrest you for assaulting an officer- oh, _and_ prostitution, since I'm assuming that's why you're here, yes?"

Kate released the woman's arm with a little push, sending her stumbling forward.

"You're not a cop," the woman argued, turning to face Kate as she rubbed at her painful arm. She eyed the outfit that Kate wore so well and doubted any cop would be caught on the streets lookin' like that.

Slipping two fingers into the low neckline of her strapless dress, Kate fished her badge out of the cup of her bra, flashed only half of it and quickly put it away again before anyone else could see it. "You haven't done anything yet- that _I've_ seen- so you've got twenty seconds to get your ass out of here before I change my mind about arresting you for assault," Kate hissed in a muted voice.

That little flash of badge was enough to convince the now-terrified woman and Kate rolled her eyes again as she hurried away at a noisy trot.

_This is_ not _what I wanted to be doing tonight_, Kate griped silently for at least the thousandth time. She had planned to spend the night watching sappy romantic comedies- or maybe some horror, slasher, zombie movies with no trace of romance in sight- while eating ice cream and moping about Will, who had left just the day before for Boston. Had she made the right decision to let Will move on without her?

Well, it was too late for that regret to change her mind; Will was already gone and they had agreed that there was no use in prolonging the torment by trying and eventually, inevitably failing to have a long distance relationship. They had also agreed that it was probably best not to call each other again...

Suddenly Kate gasped, shivering with the first flash of excitement that she had felt in days. She had the new Richard Castle novel, just waiting for her beside her tub! Maybe tonight, once she finally got home, she would wash the street and the silk Band-Aid out of her skin in a hot, soapy bath and treat herself to some wine while she read the latest Derrick Storm.

With that happy thought, Kate pushed away from the wall and wandered back to the curb, hoping to appear attractive and ready to exchange sexual favors for cash. _My job sucks!_ Kate groaned internally. But, in just a few more hours, she reminded herself, she would be free to lose herself in the world of Derrick Storm, a hot bubble bath and a good- for a cop's salary- bottle of wine. Plus, in the not so immediate future, she would be promoted to detective and finally be above such demeaning assignments.

The heavy steps of a big man in nice shoes slowly approached and Kate sighed, prepared to put on the act, before turning to face him. Her smile froze in place when she recognized the man wandering aimlessly in her direction.

Kate had never met him before... Well, there was that one book signing she had gone to, but she had been too flustered to say anything other than mumble her name when he asked. She recognized him mostly from the dust jackets of his many books, all of which she owned.

Richard Freaking Castle was headed right toward her!


	2. Chapter 2

Richard Castle was headed right toward her! Only... he appeared not to have noticed her yet. He looked lost in thought and Kate wondered if his incredible mind was working out a new crime for Derrick Storm to solve.

_What is_ he_ doing in_ this _part of town?_ Kate wondered. The only people out at this time of night were drug dealers and...

_No way!_ Kate gasped mentally. The talented, incredibly handsome, Rick Castle would never have to _buy_ love! Super models were frequently pictured in magazines hanging on his arm; there was no _reason_ for him to buy some easy company... Right?

Well, Kate decided she would try. If he tried to pick her up, she would have the satisfaction of throwing his sleazy ass in jail (it's hard to see your heroes fall! But kind of satisfying to lock their asses up for it.) but if he did not, she would have the opportunity to meet her favorite author! And maybe even flirt with him a little.

Kate finally noticed his eyes were on her and he was only feet away now, but still slowly approaching. Her flirty, come-hither smile came more naturally this time as she regarded the author with bedroom eyes.

"Hey baby, can I help you find something?" A secret thrill went through her; she just called Rick Castle _baby_! "You seem a little lost."

Rick finally stopped, not close enough to make Kate uncomfortable (should she object to his proximity), but still within her personal space. Then again, how close would _this_ man have to get before she began to feel uncomfortable? She did not think it was a distance that was even possible if clothes were still separating them... He took her in, from her smoky eyes and short, choppy, bleached blonde hair, to her little red dress, the fishnet covered legs that went on for day and those pumps that were so tall, he worried they would sprain her lovely ankles if he so much as looked at them funny. She looked the part and was acting like a prostitute, yet something about her seemed off to Rick. But that was not about to stop Castle from flirting with a beautiful woman if she seemed willing.

"Maybe you could help me find my jaw. I seem to have dropped it somewhere."

Kate smiled and tried to hide her pink cheeks behind a raised hand, reminding herself viciously that, _Hookers don't blush!_ But hell, Richard Castle had just implied that _she_, Kate Beckett, was jaw-droppingly gorgeous! And Kate had to admit, that felt kind of good...

Sidling close to the author, Kate put one hand to his chest, the other cupping his neck. Sweeping her thumb over the dark stubble of his jaw, she purred, "I think I found it."

Rick chuckled and the sound was low and sexy, warming Kate all the way down to her toes. "Good eye, Detective," he said quietly and Kate stiffened in shock. He put his hand over hers on his cheek and then held it so he could kiss her palm. Her surprise had not gone unnoticed and when he was done studying the softness of her skin on his lips, he smiled. "That _is_ what you are, isn't it? A cop? Because you are definitely _not_ a prostitute."

With wide eyes, Kate challenged, "What makes you think I'm not a prostitute?"

"Well, for one, those clothes. They cost way too much for a hooker's salary." Rick held onto her hand, stroking his fingertips over her skin, first her palm, then the back, and then up her wrist.

Kate's free hand slid from his chest to hold onto his solid bicep. If he was going to keep hold of her, there was no way _she_ was about to let go of him! "This dress caught more than just you tonight, sweetheart," she argued with him. Oh, there went another pleasant little thrill; she was _arguing_ with Rick Castle! "And not fifteen minutes ago, some bimbo threatened me for working _her_ corner."

"Yeah, well, some people aren't too bright. Which brings me to my next argument; you recognized me."

"So?"

"So, I don't recall ever meeting you- and trust me, I would have remembered _you_. So that means you recognized me from my books. And that means that you read; you're smart."

Kate smiled, pleased by that conclusion. "Hookers can't be smart? Maybe I'm just doing this to pay my way through school."

"I suppose that's possible. But really, how many prostitutes read murder mysteries?"

"All it takes is one," she countered. "Is that all you got?" She added as though she was not too impressed. However, it was amazing to see his incredible mind in action and verbally sparring with him was getting under her skin in a way no man had ever managed before. It was fun trying to one-up him, the tension building between them almost palpable- sexual tension, that is...

Rick chuckled, noting that this pretty woman was having just as much fun flirting as he was. "Your tights," he said, his eyes never leaving her face- those gorgeous dark eyes- even though he was dying to get another look at those legs of hers. "A prostitute's job requires that she be able to get in and out of her clothes quickly and easily. No hooker's going to wear panty hose- takes too long to get them on and off."

She held his gaze firmly in her own while biting seductively at her lower lip, until the very last moment, before Kate moved close enough that her mouth brushed his ear as she spoke. "They're thigh-highs," she told him quietly, her voice low and seductive. "I don't even have to take them off."

A purely feminine thrill of power and satisfaction burned through her when Richard Castle actually closed his eyes and groaned. Oh, that was a pleasant sound and Kate was warmed by it. Eventually he shook his head and growled, "Now _that_ is sexy."

With a smirk, Kate gently reprimanded him a bedroomy way that did nothing at all to help him do as she asked; "Stop trying to picture me wrapped around you wearing nothing but these tights, Mr. Castle."

With a low, rumbly laugh, Rick opened his eyes and regarded her sardonically. "You know how you're not supposed to tell an acrophobic not to look down, because without exception, they always do?" When Kate's smile grew and she nodded, knowing Castle's conclusion before he made it, he continued, "Well, it is just as inadvisable to tell a man not to think about you naked, because without fail, he always will."

"Oops," she replied with an unrepentant little smile. "Like what you think you see?"

"Definitely," he confirmed, his hand exploring the contours of her hip. Now when did he put his hand _there_? she wondered, but found she did not really care, so long as he kept it there.

Kate slipped her hands over his chest and up to hold his shirt collar, one hand slipping farther to play with his ear. Gently rubbing the pad of her thumb over his earlobe, Kate could not help but imagine that soft bit of flesh between her teeth while more of those sexy groans slipped from his parted lips. "If you'd like to see more," she started with a sexy suggestion in her voice. "We could always head somewhere more private." When Rick grinned suggestively, Kate smirked, sure now that she had caught her prey. "Of course, it'll cost you. But I'm sure you can afford it, Mr. Mystery-Writer-Man."

Though he chuckled, Rick shook his head at her regretfully. "I'm disappointed, Detective. You would really try to honey-trap me? Your favorite author?"

"You're not James Patterson," Kate retorted facetiously, not wanting the man to know what a true FanGirl she really was.

As hoped, he gasped in faux hurt and clapped his hand over his heart. "You wound me, Detective! I can't believe you would lie to me like that. Are cops allowed to lie?"

"I'm not a detective," Kate insisted.

"Fine, maybe you're not a Detective, but you are _not_ a street-walker." His eyes raked up and down what he could see of her, even though it was not much, pressed so close to him as she was. "High class call girl, _maybe_. But even that I doubt."

Kate could not help her flattered smile and her lashes lowered to gaze at him through them. "Proof waits just behind this building. Meet me back there in five minutes and I'll prove to you- once and for all- what kind of girl I am."

"Is that where the boys from Vice are hiding?" he asked, excitement at the prospect of a police sting poorly hidden in his voice.

Kate rolled her eyes (and then noted in awe and wonder, _I just rolled my eyes at Richard Freaking Castle!_) "Are you going to meet me or not?"

Rick's hands on her hips pulled her body flush against him and his voice was a low rumble when he said, "I _really_ wish I could, either to let you arrest me, or, if I'm wrong, spend several hours of bliss wrapped up in you, but I have to get home." His hand pushed between them and he pulled out a business card with his personal number out of his inside coat pocket. He held it up between two fingers and waited for Kate to take it. "Perhaps another time. You just tell me when and where and I'll do whatever it takes to be there."

Kate smiled as she took his card from his fingers. She watched his eyes drop to the neckline of her dress when she slipped the card beneath the hem and stored it in her bra. She studied the look of boyish delight when his eyes brightened and he smiled hugely. She was sure he had seen the flash of brass she had strategically planned. Or was it just the sight of more of her breasts that had him so giddy?

He answered her unspoken question when he gasped excitedly, "I knew it!"

"Shh!"

"Oh, I love it!" he added quietly, before attacking her neck with open-mouthed kisses.

Kate could not stop or hide the excited shiver that tore through her, or the way her knees melted. She had to clutch her arms around his shoulders just to keep her body upright. Castle helpfully wrapped his arm around her waist to hold her close, while the other pushed her short platinum locks back so he could nibble at her ear.

When his tongue came out to tease her earlobe, Kate gasped in excitement- then she gasped in horror and attempted to stand upright again. "My partners are watching us," she whispered urgently into Castle's ear. _Oh, and they can hear me_, she recalled in horror the microphone hidden beside her badge to record any and all of her propositions that night.

Rick groaned in disappointment and straightened, taking a small, reluctant step away from Kate. "_Please_, you _have_ to call me soon, okay?"

Kate smiled, flattered that he was so eager to see her again... even if it was only because he thought she would be easy, prostitute or not. "Sure," she eventually agreed.

Leaning in to whisper in her ear, Rick urged, "Promise on your badge that you'll call."

"I promise," Kate agreed quickly, overcome by the feel of his breath on her neck, his lips on her ear.

Smiling, he moved and Kate clearly read his intent to kiss her, so she shook her head and pulled back. There were too many guys from work watching her and the last thing she needed was to be caught kissing a mark. She would never hear the end of it! Especially when they did not end up arresting the guy.

"Oh, right. Hookers don't kiss on the mouth," Rick joked.

Already annoyed by the fact that she had had to refuse a kiss from an incredibly sexy man- who just happened to be her most favorite author of all time- Kate narrowed her eyes on Castle and glared for a moment. A capricious spirit took her and before she could talk herself out of it, she fisted her hands in the lapels of his jacket and pulled his mouth to hers. The abrupt contact was hard at first, but Castle put a hand at her white-blonde hair and tilted her head to slow, deepen and intensify the impulsive kiss. When his tongue slipped past her parted lips, Kate moaned. This was beyond any crazed Fangirl daydream she had ever had about the handsome author and she could not even bring herself to care that the guys in the van had probably heard that needy sound at the back of her throat. Her only regret was that the kiss could not continue.

Too soon, they pulled apart to stare at each other in awe and wonder. Both of them were panting and Kate found some feminine pride in the fact that she had stolen the breath from a notorious womanizer.

Almost as though reading her mind and trying to prove her wrong, Castle's low voice rumbled, "I would _really_ love to talk to you more about your job."

"Really?" Kate challenged dubiously. "You want to _talk_ to me?"

A single eyebrow rose as he admitted, "Among other things." His hand finally left her hair to smooth down her neck, her bare shoulder and her arm to finally hold her hand. "But that can come later. I would really like to know more about you first."

"I'm not very interesting," she argued, not being humble so much as she was hoping to avoid the long, painful conversation about her mother. That story was sure to scare a man away, especially one as carefree and loved-by-many as Rick Castle.

"I beg to differ," Castle promptly retorted, preventing Kate from dwelling. "But call me sometime and we'll find out for sure."

Kate just smiled and nodded then watched as Castle glanced at the time on his watch. With a grimace, he said, "I really have to go now, but _call me_."

"How many times do I have to say yes before you'll hear me?" Kate snapped, teasingly exasperated.

With an impish grin, he replied, "A man never gets tired of hearing a pretty woman tell him 'yes.'"

How many times had she blushed tonight? Kate wondered. Well, this one made at least ten now, right? She smiled and watched as Rick started to walk away. He halted and abruptly turned back, continuing to walk away from her- slowly- backward. "What's your name? So I know whose phone call to expect?"

"Simone," she blurted on impulse. She was not technically lying- it _was_ her middle name. But 'Kate' was too common. He probably had dozens of Kates calling him every day and 'Katherine' did not have quite the same sexy, exotic ring to it as 'Simone.' Plus... if this did not work out... he did not have her real first name.

"Simone," he replied thoughtfully and his eyes swept over her body, as though he was trying to figure out if the name fit her. Or maybe he was trying to create an eidetic image to go with the label. Eventually he smiled and called out to her (he was several yards away by now), "Call me soon, Simone!" Then he finally turned around to watch where he was going and hurried away.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: No, I did not forget about the watch… Just so you know :-D (that will make more sense in about two paragraphs...)**

**I always love it when people recognize my (not-always-subtle) references to the actors' other works. SciFiGirl65- Yeah, I totally named her after Simone Renoir. That's still my favorite movie! And thank you to everyone reading this even though there are other (better) versions of Beckett-works-Vice stories!  
**

It was a week before she finally called Richard Castle. She had very strict, personal rules that she was never to call a man the day after she received his phone number (in most cases, it gave her the time to consider whether she really wanted to call him back or not). And because this particular man was her favorite author and a notorious rake as well (_Better not ever let Lanie hear me say that,_ Kate mused, dreadful of the day her best friend ever found out about her- _small _- stash of historical romance novels), she decided it should be two days before she allowed herself to call him. By the time her requisite wait period was up, real life butted in and between work, new cases, and the guys from vice hassling her about the recent sting (most of them had never seen her in a dress before, much less flirting with a man- the fact that she had kissed a mark had nearly given one older detective a shock-induced heart attack), it was another five days before Kate had the time or the energy to use the number.

The last place Rick had seen his business card had been inside her bra, pressed against her skin, nestled somewhere just over her heart, so that was where Kate kept it the rest of that week. Every morning, after slipping the necklace with her mother's wedding ring over her head, Kate tucked Richard Castle's personal card into her bra. Invariably, the innocent (ha!) action brought back the memory of Castle's eyes on her chest as he watched her put it away that first time. Then his boyish excitement when he caught a glimpse of her badge. And then those warm, wet kisses he had covered her neck with...

Well, a week had passed now and she had been promised a weekend of peace for her _sacrifice_ of last Friday. So, on her lunch break and even knowing that Richard Castle probably already had plans on a Friday night, she called him. Then she was startled into an awkward silence when he answered on the first ring.

"This is Ricky," his happy voice rang out in greeting. For a week now, he had gotten a happy thrill when he received a call from an unknown number. Unfortunately, it was never the one person he was eagerly waiting to hear from, but he kept the hope. She _had_ promised... Though, after a week, he was beginning to wonder... When he realized that the line was still silent Rick prompted, "Hello?"

Kate cleared her throat and gathered her wits. "Hi. This is- Simone." She hoped he did not notice the slight pause before giving her name.

"Simone!" Rick gasped happily, as if she were the one person in the world he most wanted to hear from. "Please tell me you're available tonight! I have reservations at this great new restaurant and my date totally bailed on me."

"Really?" Kate asked in a tone Rick could not at first interpret. Her next words made it clear that she was unimpressed. "You're going to take me out on another woman's date? That sounds _so_ romantic," she added scathingly. And then she wondered what the hell was wrong with her, insulting Rick Castle like that?

To her surprise, Rick just chuckled. "Okay, okay, so I lied. I just didn't want you to know that after I met you last Friday- a _week_ ago now, by the way-" he threw in as his own scathing comment on her negligence on fulfilling her promise to call _soon_. "I cancelled all of my plans for tonight so I could have dinner with you." No need to tell her that his 'plans' had involved moping around the loft, missing the daughter who was spending the weekend with her mother.

"Why wouldn't you want me to know that?" Kate asked, choosing to dwell on her curiosity rather than her disconcert. Still, part of her could not help but wonder, _He cancelled all his plans for me?_

"I'm sure you're sick of men hitting on you all the time. I just didn't want you to think I was one of those over-eager fools, tripping over themselves to worship in your shadow, however true it may be." Rick knew he was coming on a little too strong, but he was so excited to hear from her, he did not carefully check all the flattering words he wanted to give her.

"So you wanted me to think you were a tool instead?" she asked and smiled when she made Rick laugh again. "That was a _great_ idea, Ricky," she added sarcastically.

His low laugh continued for a moment. "The simple fact that I'm _Richard Castle_ isn't going to impress you, is it?"

It was Kate's turn to laugh; he really had no idea how he was affecting her, simply because of who he was? Plus, the man himself- behind the public persona- was even more fascinating. "It might," she finally retorted. "If you promise to show me the _real_ Richard Castle and not the public tool."

"All right, Simone," he agree happily. "I promise to show you the real me, the man behind the fame, the fortune and the incredible talent." He smiled happily when she laughed at his contradiction of his promise, even as he made it.

"That's all I ask," Kate joked in return.

"How about I pick you up tonight at eight? And I promise, whatever we do tonight was planned with only you in mind."

Kate wanted to believe him, but her rational, logical mind was telling her that this was all some elaborate, worryingly-realistic fantasy. There was no way- in the _real_ world- that she was about to spend the evening with Richard Castle. Right? And yet...

"How about seven o'clock? I'm off work tonight at six and I don't take long to get ready."

He surprised Kate when he groaned as though disappointed. "Don't tell me you're one of those women who _naturally_ looks that gorgeous, are you?"

Kate laughed in an attempt to hide the fact that she was blushing. "No, Rick. A lot of work goes into putting this face together, I'm just quick about it. You never know when you'll be called out to a crime scene in the middle of the night." She'd also become adept at quickly covering the evidence of tear filled, sleepless nights mourning her mother, but there was no way she would tell Rick about that.

"Somehow I doubt that," he replied dubiously. "I have to go now, but I'll pick you up at seven. Will you text me your address?"

"Sure. See you at seven."

"I look forward to it, Simone." His voice was low and sexy and it almost made Kate regret lying to him about her name. She kind of wanted to know what it would sound like if he were to use her real name in that deep, sexy, male voice of his.

Well, it was too late now. Maybe if their time together lasted longer than this weekend, she would tell him the truth. But somehow, no matter how surreal this situation already was, she doubted it would last. And it would be better if he did not know too much about her. So that meant no personal anecdotes, especially the story of her mother. If he wanted to talk cop-shop, she would stick to procedure and process, without mentioning the absurd crush she had once had on her T.O. She would talk about how difficult training had been, but she would not mention where she had found the strength and determination to make it through.

Half of her lunch went uneaten after that phone call; she found she did not have much appetite once excited butterflies took to fluttering up a storm in her stomach. She could barely focus on her paperwork after that and Montgomery- noticing her abstraction- sent her home at five thirty instead of six. He was then surprised when she, for the first time ever, jumped on the opportunity to leave work before ten o'clock at night.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I basically stole a look from Stana's website when writing about her dress in this chapter. I used the same picture as the image for this story. I'm not sure I have the right to use the picture- pretty sure I don't- but I found it on the internet, so whatever. For the purposes of this story, just add fishnets :-D**

Deciding she now had time for a shower, not that she _needed_ it, Kate figured it could not hurt and might even calm her down a little. She had just cut and bleached her hair recently and even though sometimes she missed the length, it was much easier to take care of when it was short. The bleach had been an impulse, but she found it helped when she had to play hooker for a night. Once she was promoted to Detective, she would go back to her natural brown.

Showering and drying her hair took thirty minutes, straightening it took another fifteen. Makeup took less and dressing would be a snap. She was absolutely sure that her thigh-high fishnets were necessary and she had a brand new dress she had been waiting for the perfect occasion to break out. When she bought it, she had planned on wearing it to dinner with Will... But then they had broken up and now she had... well, not _better_ but different prospects. Ha! Who was she kidding? Castle was a dream come true, while Will was a nightmare she was glad was OVER.

Kate smiled when her doorbell rang fifteen minutes early, gratified to know that she was not the only one eagerly anticipating this date. She headed quickly to the door but on impulse, grabbed her gun to take it with her. Castle had seemed just as fascinated by her profession as he was by Kate herself, so she thought he would get a thrill if he was greeted tonight by some proof that she really was a cop.

Rick's eyes widened when he saw her. She was wearing less makeup than the night they had met, but somehow, she was only prettier for it. Her cobalt blue dress, though high-necked and concealing, was stunning, contrasting vividly with her pale skin and paler hair. Ruffles at her shoulders trailed down her sides and led his eyes straight to the skin tight, super short skirt and her curvy hips. Before he could even take note of the fishnets and her beautiful legs, he noted the gun at her side, her trigger finger along the barrel and his smile brightened like a ruggedly handsome sunrise. He glanced quickly now at her tights, her super tall black shoes and back to her stunning eyes. "So hot!" he gasped in boyish delight.

Kate took her own short moment to take in Rick's appearance; his suit was such a deep, midnight blue it almost looked black and incredibly soft to touch. The brighter blue of his shirt made his eyes nearly glow... or was that just because of the way he was studying her? She belatedly noticed that they matched.

Finally, Kate shifted her weight to one foot, cocking her hip and her head to one side and challenged, "Is that any way to greet a cop?" Her gun hand moved out slightly and Rick eyed it with trepidation.

Clearing his throat, Castle amended, "Good evening, Miss... Simone. You look absolutely stunning." He stepped forward, placed a hand at her shoulder and leaned in to kiss her cheek. When he moved away again, he pointed at her gun, smiled and asked eagerly, "Can I see that?"

Kate laughed but she shook her head. "No," she said regretfully. When Castle's smile faded by just a shade, she explained, "It's my service piece. You understand?" If there was one thing that was drilled into her while she was at the academy, it was the sanctity of an officer's gun; it was never to leave your side. The idea was, if someone else had it, they were probably aiming it at you, so just do not let it go in the first place or be prepared to die trying to get it back.

"Sure," he replied, entering Kate's apartment when she stepped back and motioned- with her gun hand!- for him to enter. "Why do you have it out then?" he asked out of curiosity.

"A girl can never be too careful in New York City," she replied. She closed and locked her front door, then moved to a desk/bookshelf nearby where she stored her gun in one of the drawers. Kate turned to face Castle, leaned back against the desk and smiled mysteriously at him. "Plus, I had a hunch that you would enjoy being greeted by a girl with a gun."

Castle laughed, surprised and pleased that she seemed to know him so well. "Not that you're wrong, but what gave you that idea?" he asked.

With a smirk for his challenge, Kate turned back to the bookshelf and pulled down _Storm Warning_. She held it up as evidence for Rick and they both took a second to recall the scene Kate was referring to; a sexy, undercover, lady hit-man had Derrick naked on a bed when she interrupts their amorous activities to pull a gun on the man. Instead of scaring him though, Derrick Storm finds himself even more turned on by the naked woman holding her piece on him.

When they were both grinning for the memory, Kate turned back to the shelf and pulled down three more of Castle's books with similar scenes in them; Rick seemed to like the idea of beautiful women holding a gun on Derrick Storm and the Detective himself seemed to enjoy it also. It probably had something to do about the thrilling buzz created by the mix of lust and adrenaline.

Castle was just impressed that this attractive woman seemed to know his books so well; many of the beautiful women who asked him to sign various naked body parts were more interested in his celebrity than actually reading murder mysteries. He wandered over to study her bookshelf and asked in awe, "How many of my books do you have?"

These were just the paperbacks. Kate blushed and was grateful Rick did not see her embarrassment, intent as he was on her library. But she really did not want him to see she had _every_ Richard Castle that had ever been printed, so she quickly set the stack of books in her hands down, then grabbed Castle's shoulder to turn him and lead him to the couch. "A few," she finally answered vaguely.

Suddenly he groaned, allowing himself to be led by the hand. He plopped down on the couch and when he looked up at Kate, his pained expression was beseeching. "_Please_ don't tell me you own _Hell Hath No Fury?_"

Kate sat beside him before she turned to smile at Rick. "I liked it," she insisted.

"You would have to be a _hard-core_ Castle groupie to read _that_ one," he said flippantly. But when she blushed, Rick realized with awe how right he was.

So Kate rolled her eyes and argued, "I would have all of Patterson's books too, if there weren't so frigging many of them."

"Right," he agreed, though somewhat dubiously.

"I'm a fan of the _genre_," Kate insisted.

"If you say so," Rick replied with a happy little grin, thoroughly unconvinced by her continued denials.

Kate sighed, annoyed that she had been caught, but glad that he did not seem inclined to tease her. There were countless times in the six months she had dated Will that the man had teased her for her obsession with Richard Castle. Crossing her legs, she turned her body to face him more fully and asked, "So, when are our reservations?"

"Eight thirty," he replied quietly, distracted. Rick's eyes were now locked on her legs, studying the tone shape and long lines of the incredible limbs folded attractively before him. He had to remind himself to _Breathe!_ and after quickly gasping in a much needed gulp of air, he added, "There wasn't anything sooner, not at the last minute."

"So we have," Kate glanced at the clock on the wall behind them, "An hour to kill before we should leave?"

Rick nodded stupidly, too gone now to be able to talk. Were these the same fishnet tights from last week? he wondered. _Oh please, let them be thigh-highs_, he silently begged, as images she had once admonished him for picturing careened again through his lust-clouded mind.

Kate watched him as he stared in rapt attention at her legs and she grew warmer by the second. His gaze became as solid as a caress and through it she could feel how desperately he wanted to touch her. But this was too soon! Kate reminded herself. If she let him touch her now, they would not bother getting to know each other- Castle would not bother getting to know _her_- and she would never see him again once he got what he so obviously wanted from her. So why was she reaching out for his hand? Why was she placing it, palm flat down, on her thigh? And why, for the love of heaven, was she wrapping her fingers around his wrist and guiding his hand up, around the side of her thigh and beneath the hem of her dress?

Rick scooted closer to her across the couch and his gaze locked on hers as he slid his hand higher, pulling her body towards him with the hand now cupping her back side. His hand had slipped over netting, then elastic lace, and when he had finally encountered bare skin, he had groaned, unable to stop himself from clutching at her bare rear end and pulling her body against him.

Together they leaned against the back cushion of her couch and Castle used their new position to his advantage; his hand slid back down her thigh, around her knee, and pulled her leg up around his waist.

Kate would have thought Castle was now beyond rational thought- she sure as hell was!- especially once their hips were pressed intimately against one another. But Castle took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and began to apologize. "I didn't mean to... I mean... I wanted to talk to you, get to know you before we..." He grimaced, and when he opened his eyes again, they burned in desire for Kate. "Maybe we should head out early, even if we don't have a reservation."

Rick was willing to get up and walk away from these heavenly sensations just because he wanted to get to know Kate _before_ he slept with her? Did that mean she could be more to him than just a one night stand? The thought- whether right or wrong- was enough to resolve her.

Kate slipped her arm around his ribs, pulling his chest against her own and delighting in his hard planes pressed against her curves. They both began breathing heavily and with a small, alluring smile, Kate purred, "But wouldn't you like to spend the next hour exploring more of my very long legs?"

With a brilliant smile, Rick agreed, "I _desperately_ would."

"Good," Kate replied as she used her arm and leg wrapped around him to pull his body more securely against her.

Slowly, Kate leaned in to kiss him, taking her time to enjoy his talented mouth and hands on her body. The next time either one of them glanced at a clock they had missed their reservations by over half an hour.

"Oops," Kate offered facetiously after they realized they had unintentionally cancelled their dinner reservation.

Kate smiled when Rick laughed and leaned closer to her to kiss her bare shoulder. They were reclined beside each other on her couch, naked, but no longer touching except when Rick leaned over to kiss her shoulder. In the next second, his stomach rumbled rather loudly and he complained, "I'm hungry."

"Oh, it's _my_ responsibility to feed you, is it?" Kate teased in fake annoyance. "It's _your_ fault we missed our reservation."

Rick gasped in over-exaggerated indignation. "It is _so_ your fault."

"My fault?!" She sat up and turned to face him, her general expression stern but her eyes glowing with teasing amusement- not to mention afterglow. That man really did have an incredible talent. "I would have been _fine_ after the first time, but nooo, you _had_ to have me completely naked."

Rick sat up to mirror her position. "_I_ would have been fine to wait until _after_ dinner, but _you_ had to go and tease me!" In a bad falsetto voice, he mimicked her earlier words, "Wouldn't you like to explore my very long legs, Mr. Castle?"

"If I recall correctly, you _did_ like it."

"Yeah," he agreed with a little laugh. But then he complained, with a disappointed, little-boy pout, "But I didn't actually get to touch them."

"Because _you_ wouldn't let me take the fishnets off!"

Rick eyed her legs; the only clothing she wore were her thigh-high fishnets and the reality of having her wrapped around him wearing nothing else had far surpassed all of his illicit fantasies. But now that he had lived _that_ fantasy, he wanted to move on to the next one. In an overly solicitous voice, Rick said, "Let me help you with that."

He pulled one of her feet off the floor, laid her leg over his lap and slowly began to peel the lace and netting down her thigh. The material had left imprints in her skin and Rick soothed them with his hands as her leg was exposed.

"That is so unfair," Kate complained in a breathless tone. She leaned back against the armrest of the couch when Rick picked up her other leg to lay it over his lap with the first. When he glanced briefly to her face in question- his attention more fully focused on her legs- she explained, "We were having an argument and you had to go and-" Kate gasped in excited surprise when Rick ran his hands up, between her legs to the apex of her thighs. "Distract me!" she gasped out, determined to finish her accusation even though Castle was working hard to drive her to distraction.

"If you insist," Rick agreed, intentionally mistaking that last as a command and not the completion of her previous thought that it was.

Kate could only moan happily, thoroughly distracted.

**I totally forgot that I had already posted chapter 3! I went to post it again and found that it had already been uploaded to the document manager… wow. Been so busy with school lately, that my mind is mush! I'll try to post another chapter next week, but I'll also be moving then so… we'll see…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Because I made you all wait so long and because your review are all so kind, I'm posting the next chapter literally minutes after the last. Hope you still like!**

The next time they broke apart however, Castle didn't wait to catch his breath, nor allow Kate to catch hers. He immediately groaned, "I'm hungry."

Kate laughed as she rose off the couch. "If you hadn't distracted me, I could have ordered food an hour ago!" she gently reprimanded him. Kate made her way to the bathroom, and when she came out again, she wore a silky black robe from off the back of the door. Kate then went to the kitchen to dig some menus out of a drawer. "How do you feel about Russian food?" Kate called out to him as she perused her options.

As Rick stood, pulled on his silky, blue boxer shorts and an undershirt, and made his way to Kate, he said, "I don't think I've ever had Russian food."

Gasping in disbelief, she said, "You've never- Well, that settles it, we're ordering Russian. I know this great little cafe that delivers and they have the best vareniki." The way she pronounced that last little bit gave Rick the idea that she probably had a pretty good grasp of the language as well as the cuisine.

Always willing to try something new, Rick just laughed as he watched her. To his surprise, once Kate dialed the phone and waited for the line to be picked up, she greeted the respondent in what sounded like Russian. The woman then proceeded to spend twenty minutes on the phone, presumably ordering their dinner, but Rick could not tell because the entire conversation took place in another language.

When Kate finally ended the call and replaced the landline, she turned to Castle to find him studying her curiously.

"What?" she asked, when the staring finally started getting to her- which only happened after a few seconds, but still, it seemed longer to Kate.

"You speak Russian," he observed with a shrug.

"Yeah," she agreed with her own mirroring shrug, waiting for the punch line.

"Why?" he asked, his tone adding the implication that it seemed like an odd language choice for a pretty, young woman.

"I spent a summer in Russia when I was in college."

"Why?" he asked again, more vehemently, wondering why she had chosen Russia of all places. Rick was sure the country had many wonderful things to recommend it, but for a young, female college student, it did seem like an odd choice. Most young women would have gone to Paris or someplace equally "romantic."

So, when Kate replied, "The France trip was all full up," Rick laughed. The sound made Kate smile and no longer joking, she added, "My great-grandparents were Russian."

Rick smiled and offered, "My grandparents were carnies." His smile grew when Kate laughed out loud. It was a great sound, yet Rick got the impression that she did not do that very often.

Pushing away from the counter, Kate moved to get them some cups and asked Rick, "Would you like something to drink?"

"Yes, _please_. I desperately need to replace some fluids."

Kate blushed for his implication, even as a happy, self-satisfied smile grew. When she opened the fridge and bent a little to see inside, her eyes widened in horrified realization; Rick's naughty joke had made her realize that they had not once used protection- of any kind- any of the three times they had had sex... _Well shit!_ She had not done something that stupid since… well, ever. But that was something she would have to worry about later- it was done and she could not change it now, but she could be smarter in the future. And right now, Rick was waiting on something to drink.

Kate studied the contents of the fridge and blushed again, in chagrin this time. "I've only got water or month old milk." She closed the door again then reached up to ruffle her short hair. "I don't go shopping very often," she confessed.

"Water's fine," Rick assured then asked, "Did you order something with dinner?"

Kate nodded. "A bottle of Russian wine. I hope that's okay."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." He paused for only a second then asked as though the answer to this next question was _much _more important; "You did order dessert, right?"

"Duh!" she replied, apparently offended that he even had to ask.

"Just making sure!" he argued with a smile.

The knock at the front door came a lot sooner than Rick had expected it would and their surprise made it easier for him to press money on her to pay for their dinner. Kate then skipped quickly to the door and when she saw the tall, skinny boy standing with their bags of food, she gasped, "Vadim!" and then launched herself forward. Wrapping her arms around the boy's neck and kissing both his cheeks, Kate launched into a rapid, excited conversation in Russian.

All Castle could do was watch. He did not really feel he could step forward to take the bags of food because he was still in his underwear and he did not know if his state of undress would embarrass Kate for her friend to see.

Rick frowned in consternation. What was that annoyed, angry, hurt and possessive combination of emotions he was feeling? It could not possibly be jealousy- Richard Castle was _never_ jealous of the women he... "spent time" with. But _this_ woman was different somehow. He had wanted to get to know her _before_ he slept with her, but that was not how fate had worked out. So now, yes, that _was_ jealousy he was feeling. That was absurd, he tried to tell himself; he hardly knew this woman and he had no rights to her, so he should not be feeling possessive of her. And yet... He wanted to snap that scrawny Russian boy's neck for the way it craned in a blatant attempt to see down Kate's robe.

The kid had yet to notice him, so Rick stepped out of view, into the kitchen, and called out to Kate, "Is that our dinner, Babe?"

When Kate replied to him, she used a fake Russian accent; "I be there in minute! Hold horses, Richard."

While speaking to Rick, she sounded annoyed, but now that she was talking to the boy again, she sounded happy, excited even. They wrapped up their conversation quickly now, and Rick came out to help Kate with the food once he heard the front door close again.

Rick was quiet as they worked together to set out and dish up their food. He really did not want to pry but he wanted to know too. Castle wondered who was that boy and who was he to Kate? Why would she greet him so happily? And with a kiss? Why would she pretend to have a Russian accent when she was speaking English?

Though he managed to keep his questions contained within his own mind, Kate thought they rattled around in there rather loudly. So, laughing, she said, "Vadim used to be my delivery boy until he started school in Boston. He's back for the holiday and working in his parent's restaurant while he's home." They both sat down but neither began to eat, mostly because there were questions he still wanted answered and Kate knew this. With an embarrassed chuckle, she affected a Russian accent once again when she said, "I may have led them all to believe I am Muscovite."

"Sexy," Castle concluded. And now that his curiosity was satisfied, he turned to satisfying his appetite. He popped a bit of the dumpling-like vereniki in his mouth and hummed in appreciation while Kate watched him with a smile.

"Like it?" Kate asked with a bit of smug satisfaction.

Rick mumbled, "Mm-hmm," as he practically crammed another dumpling into his mouth.

**A/N: I have never tried or even heard of Russian food, actually, until I did a bit of research for this chapter, but the pictures I found on Wikipedia looked REALLY good :-D If you are familiar with Russian food, please forgive any odd descriptions or mistakes- I am completely ignorant on the topic. I only mentioned it at all because Kate speaks Russian. **

**Oh, and… I named Vadim after a kid I know! Please don't tell him ;-D**


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